7 Day 1000 Calorie Diet Plan for Weight Loss (with PDF)

Losing weight is simpler than you would imagine. You can do that without spending hours and hours at the gym pushing your body beyond its limits.

In truth, weight loss is all about counting calories. If you plan your meals and diet the right way, you’re already halfway done.

All the major studies concur that there is no way to lose body weight without any reduction in the number of calories you consume versus the number of calories you burn throughout the entire day ^[1].

To help you on your weight loss journey, we have devised a comprehensive 1000-calorie diet plan for the next 7 days. Only consuming around a thousand calories each day can be challenging.

But if you stick to it for only 1 week, you can expect to see a lot of difference in your overall body weight.

When following a 1000-calorie meal plan, simply eating whatever you want until you hit the desired number is not healthy. You need to ensure that your body is getting plenty of nutrients ^[2]. For that, we have included a variety of healthy eatables from different food groups in our plan.

Key Takeaways

1. Weight loss is only possible if you consume fewer calories than what you burn. That is, you need to be in a state of calorie deficit.
2. Consuming only 1000 calories a day may be effective for losing weight over a short period. However, it’s neither healthy nor sustainable in the long run ^[3].
3. Your 1000-calorie diet plan should include all three meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Skipping a meal is often detrimental to any weight loss program as it leads to more cravings, hunger pangs, fatigue, and a drop in the blood sugar level ^[4].
4. Low-calorie diet plans should include fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains that are capable of providing enough nutrients while keeping the daily caloric intake levels low ^[5].
5. When following any 1000-calorie-a-day meal plan, avoid ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks, and items that contain high proportions of saturated and unhealthy fats for optimal results ^[6].

How Much Weight Can I Lose If I Eat 1000 Calories a Day?

The amount of weight you will lose if you consume only 1000 calories per day will depend on several factors – including your current weight, activity level, height, and even some lifestyle factors.

Depending on your lifestyle (present as well as prior to starting this diet plan), you can lose anywhere between 2-3 pounds per week by following our 1000-calorie diet menu.

The above number is simply an estimate of how much body weight an average person might lose. The actual result, as we have already discussed, will depend on the many factors that we have listed above.

7 Day 1000-Calorie Diet Plan

Our 7-day diet plan can help you lose weight effectively. We have included all the meals while also leaving room for some healthy snacks to keep you satiated and satisfied throughout the day.

Here’s our comprehensive meal plan for efficient weight loss:

Day 1

• Breakfast: 1 cup of fat-free cheese, 1 cup of blueberries (240 calories).
• Lunch: 4 ounces of grilled chicken breast, 1 cup of steamed green beans, and one-third cup of steamed brown rice (290 calories).
• Snack: 1 hard-boiled egg with 8 Kashi 7-Grain Crackers (142 calories).
• Dinner: 200 grams of Chinese roasted chicken salad with romaine lettuce, cilantro, scallions, almonds, and preferred dressing. (290 calories).

Total Calories: 962

Day 2

• Breakfast: 145 grams of Keto Mexican scrambled eggs, 1 cup of strawberries (242 calories).
• Lunch: 130 grams of tuna and hummus, 300 grams of spinach tomato salad (316 calories).
• Snack: 30 grams of peanut butter chocolate protein balls (126 calories).
• Dinner: 240 grams of black bean and bacon soup, 150 grams of edamame sesame bowl (312 calories).

Total Calories: 996

Day 3

• Breakfast: 1 slice of Canadian bacon (1 ounce), 2 large eggs (poached, scrambled, or fried) cooked with olive oil (290 calories).
• Lunch: 1 cup of beef and bean chili soup, half a cup of whole-wheat English muffin, half a cup of fresh green beans (300 calories).
• Snack: 1 fresh peach (3 ounces), half a cup of fat-free plain cottage cheese (100 calories).
• Dinner: Ancho-rubbed flank steak (4 ounces), 1 roasted zucchini, half a cup of roasted cherry tomatoes, 1 cup of sliced asparagus (320 calories).

Total Calories: 1,010

Day 4

• Breakfast: 1 glass of peach-mango-orange smoothie (197 calories).
• Lunch: Tuna spinach salad, bell pepper & hummus snack (316 calories).
• Snack: 200 grams of cottage cheese with raspberries (161 calories).
• Dinner: 1 serving of scallops with Brussels sprouts and mustard sauce, 200 grams of fresh Jicama salad (336 calories).

Total Calories: 1,010

Day 5

• Breakfast: 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with warm water, 1 oats and cottage pancake (206 calories).
• Lunch: 3 ounces of grilled salmon, 2 cups of mixed vegetables (211 calories).
• Snack: 2 cups of fresh strawberries, 1 banana, 1 cucumber with 3 tablespoons of hummus (318 calories)
• Dinner: 250 grams of Caesar salad with preferred dressing (295 calories)

Total Calories: 1042

Day 6

• Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs with one cup of steamed baby spinach, 1 cup of grapes, 5 almonds (288 calories).
• Lunch: 1 sweet potato (medium-sized), half a cup of grilled beans, half a cup of cucumber, and tomato salad (317 calories).
• Snack: 1 small apple (77.5 calories)
• Dinner: One cup of curried codfish, 1 cup of chickpeas (296 calories).

Total Calories: 978.5

Day 7

• Breakfast: 100 grams of cottage cheese spread on 2 pieces of multigrain toast, 1 medium-sized orange (271 calories).
• Lunch: 8-inch tortilla vegetable wrap, 1 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt (289 calories).
• Snack: 1 cup of air-popped popcorn flavored with nutritional yeast, 1 cup of grapes, 5 almonds (194 calories).
• Dinner: 250 grams of Low-calorie vegetable lasagna (279 calories).

Total Calories: 1,033

What To Eat

We have given you the overview of the 7-day meal plan for effective weight loss. But you can still prepare the dishes based on your own taste.

There are certain ingredients that can help you on your journey by providing you with balanced nutrients, keeping you satiated, and elevating the taste of the dish.

Eggs, for example, are a great source of protein, act as a low-calorie meal, and can keep you satiated and full for hours ^[7].

Here is a list of the best food items to eat when you are on a weight loss journey:

• Eggs
• Leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, and collard greens
• Fish
• Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower
• Lean meat
• Beans and legumes
• Soups
• Cottage cheese
• Avocados
• Nuts
• Whole grains
• Fruits
• Chili pepper
• Chia seeds
• Whole Greek yogurt

What Not To Eat

There are certain food items that you should definitely stay away from when you are trying to lose weight.

Here is a list of some of them:

• Sugary beverages
• Baked foods
• Restaurant hamburgers
• French fries
• Crackers and chips
• Ultra-processed foods
• White pasta and bread
• White rice
• Candied dried fruits
• Sweetened yogurt
• Ice cream
• Processed meat
• Alcohol
• Candy bars

Grocery List

For your healthy diet plan to succeed, your kitchen needs to be stocked with the appropriate ingredients and food items at all times.

To help you stay ahead of the curve, here is a sample grocery list containing everything that you would need to sustain yourself healthily for a week:

• Fat-free cheese
• Blueberries
• Chicken breast
• Green beans
• Brown rice
• Eggs
• Lettuce
• Cilantro
• Scallions
• Almonds
• Salad dressing
• Chives
• Strawberries
• Tuna
• Hummus
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Peanut butter
• Bacon
• Black beans
• Lean beef cuts
• Steak
• Zucchini
• Cherry tomatoes
• Asparagus
• Peach
• Mango
• Orange
• Bell pepper
• Cottage cheese
• Raspberries
• Brussels sprouts
• Mustard sauce
• Apple cider vinegar
• Oats
• Salmon
• Bananas
• Baby spinach
• Sweet potatoes
• Cucumber
• Apples
• Codfish
• Chickpeas
• Multigrain toast
• Air-popped popcorn
• Nutritional yeast

With these ingredients at your disposal, you can create various tasty low-calorie dishes to sustain yourself during your weight loss journey.

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How To Maintain a 1000-Calorie Diet?

We all know that maintaining a 1000-calorie diet can be challenging. There will be hunger pangs and food cravings at various points to make things even more difficult.

Moreover, you will also feel comparatively less energetic and satiated than before, leading to feelings of fatigue and tiredness.

While the journey might sound hard, there are some things that you can do to make the diet plan more favorable for yourself:

• Eat wholesome and nutrient-dense foods to sustain your body. Make sure that you are getting enough macros (carbs, healthy fats, and protein) to maintain your energy levels.
• Eat foods with high fiber content as they stay longer in the digestive system and keep you satiated.
• Eat regular and small meals throughout the day. Do not eat high-calorie meals in one go as your body will completely digest the last meal after fasting for over 4 hours.
• Eat steamed vegetables as they are low in calories and extremely nutritious.
• Keep yourself hydrated by drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day. Doing so will keep you feeling satiated and prevent hunger pangs ^[8].
• Don’t overexert yourself by performing strenuous exercises.
• Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, as sleep deprivation can lead to higher cortisol levels, potentially resulting in weight gain ^[9].
• Low-calorie diets can often cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies. To be in the safer side, take supplements for the same once every 3 days while following the 1000-calorie meal plan.

Benefits of a 1000-Calorie Diet Plan

Following a 1000-calorie diet plan can be very beneficial. Here’s what you can expect:

Facilitates Weight Loss Effectively

A meal plan with only 1000 calories can be pretty effective for weight loss, especially when followed for a short while.

More than exercising, changing your dietary habits and reducing your daily caloric intake is better for losing weight quickly.

Improved Immune System

According to research, there are chances that calorie-restricted meal plans can actually influence your immune system ^[10].

It’s also shown that low-calorie diets can reduce the production of a very damaging form of oxygen known as free radicals. It’s also shown to increase the resistance of the cells in our bodies toward stress.

Accessible Ingredients

Low-calorie diets need not be made with expensive nutritional supplements or any other specialty foods.

All you need is some wholesome and real food like leafy green vegetables and fibrous fruits that can easily be purchased from the nearest supermarket.

This no-frills approach to cooking and eating can be very beneficial in the long run.

Risks of a 1000-Calorie Diet Plan

While 1000-calorie meal plans can be very effective for short-term rapid weight loss, they are not sustainable in the long run.

According to healthcare professionals, you should only reduce your daily caloric intake by up to 250-350 calories at a time ^[11]. Doing so gives your body the required time to adapt to the lifestyle change and keep functioning in the same way as it did before.

But if you are moving to a 1000-calorie diet plan, there’s a huge change that you’re pushing beyond this threshold.

As such, there are always some associated risks with such a change:

Insufficient Nutrient Intake

The main problem with a 1000-calorie diet plan is that they are often not as well-balanced as your meals should be.

They might not be giving you the nutrients that your body requires, leading to significant health problems in the long run.

Rapid Muscle Loss

Weight loss is not always burning fat. Sometimes, you will also lose muscle mass, especially if you reduce the amount of food and protein you consume by a significant margin.

While the muscle loss will not be immediate, you’ll see the mass gradually decreasing as you stick to the diet for longer periods.

Slower Metabolism

Often, consuming too few calories is associated with the risk of a slow metabolism. Put simply, it is the natural process of converting the food that you eat into energy.

A slower metabolism can potentially make it more difficult to lose weight.

1000 Calorie Diet Plan PDF

For a successful weight loss journey, it’s essential to plan your meals in a comprehensive manner. When you are eating just 1000 calories, you need to ensure that you manage your macros efficiently.

To help you with that, we’ve planned the most complete and wholesome 1000-calorie-a-day meal plan. Following this routine for 7 days can be very effective and help you lose a significant amount of weight in the short term.

You can download the entire 7-day meal plan from here.

The file is available in PDF format and can easily be downloaded and printed.

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Final Words

Although consuming only 1000 calories is not sustainable in the long run, such a diet plan can be really effective if you follow it for only 7 days and yield maximum results.

To help you with that, we’ve come up with the most comprehensive and convenient menu to help you stay under 1000 calories per day.

References

1. Body Weight Planner – NIDDK. (n.d.). https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp
2. Back to basics: all about MyPlate food groups. (2017, September 26). USDA. https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/09/26/back-basics-all-about-myplate-food-groups
3. Nackers, L. M., Middleton, K. R., Dubyak, P. J., Daniels, M. J., Anton, S. D., & Perri, M. G. (2013). Effects of prescribing 1,000 versus 1,500 kilocalories per day in the behavioral treatment of obesity: A randomized trial. Obesity, 21(12), 2481–2487. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20439
4. Zeballos, E., & Todd, J. E. (2020). The effects of skipping a meal on daily energy intake and diet quality. Public Health Nutrition, 23(18), 3346–3355. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980020000683
5. Dhingra, D., Michael, M., Rajput, H., & Patil, R. T. (2011). Dietary fibre in foods: A review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 49(3), 255-266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-011-0365-5
6. Champagne, C. M., Broyles, S. T., Moran, L. D., Cash, K. C., Levy, E., Lin, P. H., Batch, B. C., Lien, L. F., Funk, K. L., Dalcin, A., Loria, C. M., & Myers, V. H. (2011). Dietary Intakes Associated with Successful Weight Loss and Maintenance during the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 111(12), 1826–1835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2011.09.014
7. Keogh, J. B., & Clifton, P. M. (2020). Energy Intake and Satiety Responses of eggs for Breakfast in Overweight and Obese Adults—A Crossover study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(15), 5583. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17155583
8. Thornton, S. N. (2016). Increased Hydration Can Be Associated with Weight Loss. Frontiers in Nutrition, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2016.00018
9. Cooper, C. B., Neufeld, E. V., Dolezal, B. A., & Martin, J. L. (2018). Sleep deprivation and obesity in adults: A brief narrative review. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 4(1), e000392. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000392
10. White, M., Beaver, C., Goodier, M. R., Bottomley, C., Nielsen, C. M., Wolf, A., Boldrin, L., Whitmore, C., Morgan, J. E., Pearce, D. J., & Riley, E. M. (2017). Calorie restriction attenuates terminal differentiation of immune cells. Frontiers in Immunology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2016.00667
11. Koliaki, C., Spinos, T., Spinou, M., Brinia, Μ., Mitsopoulou, D., & Katsilambros, N. (2018). Defining the optimal dietary approach for safe, effective and sustainable weight loss in overweight and obese adults. Healthcare, 6(3), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6030073